San Francisco shareholder Leslie Katz received the Digital Leaders Award from the Community Technology Network for her work as a champion of digital inclusion.

Greenberg Traurig LLP helps clients bridge diverse legal systems and cultures, with a focus on efficient and effective strategic advice and legal services. The company’s San Francisco attorneys have deep Bay Area roots and practice both locally and nationally at the intersection of business, government, and the law. Learn more from this Partner Spotlight with Greenberg Traurig’s Michael Kovalich, Business Director, and Marc Kornegay, Marketing Coordinator.

What is Greenberg Traurig LLP’s history in the San Francisco Bay Area?
Greenberg Traurig’s San Francisco office opened its doors in 2010 with the goal of becoming an integral part of the City. The office quickly grew to more than 25 nationally recognized attorneys in key practice areas under the leadership of Managing Shareholder, G. Michelle Ferreira. Our areas of legal practice include: Commercial & Securities Litigation, Corporate & Finance, Government Law & Policy, Intellectual Property Litigation and Transactions, Labor & Employment, Taxation, and White Collar Defense & Special Investigations. The attorneys work seamlessly across the firm’s global platform, assisting clients with aspects of business, government policy and law.

Sacramento Mayor and shareholder Darrell Steinberg and San Francisco shareholder Leslie Katz with Leader Nancy Pelosi at a reception held in the Greenberg Traurig San Francisco office.

What is different about the San Francisco office compared to Greenberg Traurig LLP’s other locations?
The Bay Area is an energetic hub for both U.S. and international business, recognized as the world’s technology center and the West Coast’s principal banking and financial epicenter. Our San Francisco attorneys understand the cutting-edge issues that impact the Bay Area’s active marketplace. Our attorneys are skilled in helping both San Francisco based and multinational companies with local, national, and international legal issues.

How has Greenberg Traurig LLP positioned itself as one of the most technologically advanced law firms in the world?
Our technology-based environment helps us keep costs down, keeps our attorneys highly accessible to clients and expedites cases and solutions. The success of any technology setting lies in the systems, networking capabilities and overall reliability of its “back-office” function, as well as the training and resources available to its users. We work closely with technology providers who are focused on reliability and performance. GT was the first law firm to incorporate virtual machine solutions into production computing, and we continue to be a leader in that area. These virtual machines create a stable, flexible and powerful foundation that can quickly assimilate new technologies.

Another critical aspect of technology is the security of our systems and clients’ data. Our clients’ security is of paramount concern. We have implemented policies and procedures based on ISO 27001 guidelines to help protect client data and the integrity of GT’s systems, including annual mandatory security awareness for all our people. Our approach to information security is one of continual review and improvement. Our embrace of technological advancements sets us apart.

G. Michelle Ferreira, Managing Shareholder of the San Francisco office, was recognized by The San Francisco Business Times as one of the “Most Influential Women” in Bay Area Business for 2014.

Why is being committed to diversity and inclusion particularly important for Greenberg Traurig LLP?
Greenberg Traurig is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. With more than 1,950 attorneys in our 38 offices in the United States, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia, Greenberg Traurig values diversity, equality, and inclusion and support the communities in which we live and work on a global scale. Since our inception in 1967, we have built an inclusive environment where individuals are encouraged to be authentic.

Our commitment to helping change the world for the better has no gender, racial, or religious borders, which is so important in today’s environment. We were born as a diverse firm with a level playing field decades before anyone thought of such things. For us, diversity is a commitment to take action – opening doors for lawyers. That commitment is reflected by the fact that overall, 40 percent of Greenberg Traurig’s attorneys worldwide are women or minorities as defined by the American Bar Association. As of Dec. 31, 2015, our U.S. employees, including attorneys and staff, who met the definition of minority persons reflected a total of 29 percent of our employment base. Approximately 33 percent of our U.S. attorneys and 52 percent of our U.S. employees are women.

How has being a member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce helped Greenberg Traurig LLP?
San Francisco’s political and regulatory environment is complex. Through our relationship with the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Greenberg Traurig has become a true member of the San Francisco business community. We have expanded opportunities to work with area elected officials and civil leaders. This allows us to better understand our clients’ needs, and to service those needs more effectively.